SWTOR: Angles, Leverage and Betrayal
by ABSilverstreak
Summary: A Sith Inquisitor's feelings after the Legacy questline around lvl 30. She recalls the fresh, painful memory of the entire incident, and Andronikos comes by to see what got her so upset. Spoilers. Rated T for mild language and violent thoughts.


This fic is based around the Sith Inquisitor's Legacy quest that occurs between lvls 28-32. If you don't want to read what happens in the Dark Temple where the main part of this fic takes place, don't read. But if you don't care or have already been through it and wish to read about one Inquisitor's take on the entire situation, please read and review! Second in a series, the first being "SWTOR: And in the Shadows, Chains Unbound". The entire series will follow character as she follows her storyline and how I view her emotions and thoughts throughout the entire process. It also follows her unique relationship with her most trusted companion, Khem Val.

I do NOT claim to own any part of Star Wars, SWTOR, or any movies/games/classes/planets/droids/snowflakes on Hoth/whathaveyou. The only thing I claim is the individual personality behind my character. Everything else belongs to LucasArts, EA, Bioware, and whoever else has rights to Star Wars.

And now...

SWTOR: Angles, Leverage and Betrayal

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><p>Ay'ral closed the door behind her quietly, though the gentle motion didn't match the turmoil she felt inside. She stared blankly at the wall of her quarters aboard her Fury-class starship. She had yet to name the sleek but deadly vessel; she figured it would tell her its name in time. But a name for her ship wasn't what was on her mind. It was Darth Zash. That coniving, treacherous woman. Someone she had started out trusting, but grew suspicious of thanks to her ancestor, Lord Kallig. Over time she learned to respect the ghost of her past and began to take note of his warnings. This last time was no different. He had spoken the truth about Darth Zash's intentions. This time, though...she nearly left the Dark Temple as someone else.<p>

She didn't feel the pain as she whirled and drove her fist hard into the wall next to her door._ That bitch!_ she yelled in her mind, her anger raging inside of her and making her blood boil. Zash had taken something very close to her, and she was angry. Her hand throbbed as the memories resurfaced from just an hour or so ago...

_Lightning arced and Force knockbacks threw each other around as Darth Zash and her apprentice, Ay'ral, fought against one another. Both had the desire and will to live, but each had a different idea of living. Zash fought to take control of Ay'ral's body in a crazy bid to live longer; Ay'ral fought to keep her mind and body her own. Khem Val was right there by her side, using every ability he could muster, his vibrosword flashing and crackling between the lightning arcs that were thrown around between the two Sith and the electricity that that spanned on either side of his blade. Khem absorbed as much energy as he could as he fought, pulling more and more Force-energy and life from Zash with each pull. It took everything the two of them had. Ay'ral, becoming well-versed in the ways of dark healing, kept her companion and friend alive throughout the battle, though at one point Zash pulled a low blow, completely ignoring her apprentice and throwing multiple shots at Khem in rapid succession, knocking the burly Dashade completely out before his Master had a chance to help him. With the Deshade out of her way, she returned her focus entirely on Ay'ral, throwing every last ounce of energy at her apprentice. What Zash didn't count on was that by knocking out her friend, protector and companion, it threw Ay'ral into a blind, unforseen rage at the Darth. Her power increased and she drew more from the Force than she had ever done before. Ay'ral thought that Zash had killed Khem, hence her rage. In the end, had Zash not knocked him out, she might have won._

_One particularly strong shock of lightning knocked Zash to her knees, causing her to pause in her attacks and buckle over, gasping. She was running out of strength. She quietly began gathering strength as her apprentice paused as well, giving her the chance to give up...or die._

_"Give it up, Zash. My body is not yours to own." Ay'ral said angrily, standing defiantly through the burns and aches that her body now complained of. She gripped her blood-red glowing, zapping lightsaber towards Zash in a threatening manner. She would not allow herself to be taken by another...unless she wished it, and she certainly would never allow herself to be taken over by another's spirit. Her will was her own, and she would make it stayed that way._

_Zash, however, had other ideas in mind. She wasn't ready to give up that easily. Not after everything she'd gone through to complete this ritual. She refused to give up. She refused to die. She focused a moment more, drawing on the energies of the Force. In one sudden and swift move, she directed a blast of Force energy towards her apprentice, knocking Ay'ral backwards into a pillar up on the far right side of the altar._

_"You can't stop this ritual from happening!" She yelled, standing up again and moving into a final position at the top of the altar. Purple energy began to swirl around her, extending to her former apprentice. Ay'ral was struggling to stand, shaking her head to clear it from being knocked for a loop. She didn't get the chance as the energy extended from Zash and surrounded her. She felt what resembled a sickening slick feeling sliding into her mind, worming it's way in and trying to take over. She fought back, throwing up every defense she could possibly imagine. It was Force vs Force, mind vs mind. Unfortunately, Darth Zash was more trained and still a bit more powerful than the newer Sith apprentice. Her fists clenched as she felt Zash's mind breaking down her mental defenses one by one._

_"N-no..." she gasped, fighting harder. She felt a wave of renewed strength surge through her as the thought of never fighting alongside Khem or even that damnable pirate again blasted through her mind. Of never having her own will and freedom again. Of having to watch from behind her own eyes as Zash ran the controls and did whatever she wanted. Mentally she winced. Khem, as far as she knew, was dead. Anger flew through her again, through the muddied fog within her. More barriers came up in her mind as those thoughts tormented her. Slowly, both of their forms lifted into the air, the final transition only seconds away._

_Ay'ral heard the scrape of metal a few feet away amidst the turmoil in her mind. She opened her eyes just in time to see a blurr of red and glinting metal flash before her, rushing towards Zash._ It...it can't be..._, she thought, her thoughts becoming more diluted as Zash's presence began to swell within her mind. Suddenly the pressure surrounding her and the feeling in her mind was gone. Zash's attention had been shifted to somewhere else. Ay'ral fell to the ground as the energies released her, dazed and dizzy. She shook her head, clearing it just enough for her eyes to focus on the now-still form of Darth Zash...or what was her, anyway. She managed to stand, swaying on her feet, stumbling sideways down the stairs, wondering just what had happened._

_"Apprentice! What have you done to me?"_

_It wasn't until Zash's disjointed voice began echoing through the chamber that Ay'ral realized the gravity of the situation. She whirled at the bottom of the stairs, the source of the voice behind her. But when she saw what had happened, horror and anger ripped through her. Before her stood Khem Val...but his voice...was not his own. Zash's voice now came from him. In stopping the ritual and saving his master, Khem had redirected Zash's concentration and attention to him, thus directing her spirit into the Deshade. His timing was both perfect and bad all in one. Perfect because he had saved Ay'ral at the last second, bad because if he had done it just seconds earlier, neither would be posessed._

_"Why couldn't you just hold still for a few moments longer? Why couldn't you call your monster off?"_

_Ay'ral stared at Khem, who was staring at his hands as if in disbelief as Zash's voice continued to grate through the chamber. Ay'ral squinted slightly, anger flooding through her, the hairs on the back of her neck pricking._

_"Who...Zash?" She asked in disbelief, unable to believe that this was happening. Zash continued her angry rant._

_"That MONSTER broke through my defenses, interrupted my concentration, diverted the entire ritual! FIVE YEARS of preparation, finding the right person, training them, researching the artifacts, gathering them...WASTED!" She yelled, glaring at her once-apprentice through Khem's eyes. "You were my Legacy! My one chance to defeat death! You fool! You've ruined EVERYTHING!"_

_Ay'ral had let Zash rant, but finally had enough._

_"SHUT UP! Go away and give me Khem back!" the young Sith growled, her eyes burning under her sharp bone ridges above her eyes. It was honestly all she wanted. She wanted Khem back and for Darth Zash to go elsewhere and haunt something else. Actually, not something else, or anyone else. She wanted Zash _dead_. For good. A fleeting thought of shocking her out of Khem crossed her mind, but was instantly rejected; if she shocked Khem in the interest of removing Zash, she could very well hurt Khem...and badly. That was something she refused to do. It DID cross her mind that eventually, that might be the only option left to them to drive her out of him. She could only hope that they found a different way._

_A sly smile -if that's what you could call it on Khem's face- appeared as Zash began to realize just what she might be able to do. She was in a new body, yes. She was not in the one she intended, but this one could prove...useful. For now._

_"Oh, no, my apprentice," she said, her strange voice dripping with a renewed sense of power. "It looks like you're stuck with me now..." she said, flexing Khem's hands in front of her slowly. "But I wonder how powerful your friend Khem was..." she spoke slowly, as if concentrating. In fact, she was. Deep down, her mind was sensing just how much strength the muscled Deshade had. Mentally she chuckled. Ay'ral had kept good care of him in their travels. It appeared they had killed many, for his strength was incredible already. She smirked, staring at the clawed hands through her captive's eyes. _

_"Strong enough to punish you for your rebellion!" she exclaimed after a moment, her voice sounding rather pleased. She, in Khem's body, took a step towards her pure-blooded apprentice with intent. Ay'ral felt a sense of dread coming over her. The dread wasn't for herself; it was for Khem. If he was still in there somewhere...and she had to fight him and Zash to only defeat Zash...it would kill her inside. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of the centuries-old lightsaber that had been passed down to her by Lord Kallig. She could feel the power he once held pulse through it. She waited to re-ignite the deadly weapon, praying it wouldn't come to that. She held her hand up in front of her, her gold eyes meeting molten red._

_"Please...it doesn't have to end this way..." she said, her voice pleading quietly. She could care less about Zash...she'd strike her down again and again if that rat was in her own body again. But with using Khem Val as her vessel...she hesitated. She would defend herself, yes, but she wasn't sure, for the first time since the discovery of her power and potential with the Force, that she could hurt or even kill someone. Had she honestly formed that close of a connection with the Deshade? Her brief moment of thought was interrupted when the form of Khem Val rushed towards her. _

_It was in that instant that she realized she couldn't do it. Her finger moved away from the button on her lightsaber and she stood her ground. Something in her told her to stand her ground. She felt like she couldn't move as she watched him -Zash- come toward her with the intent to kill. She closed her eyes as large fists raised..._

_...and the sound of lightning crackled in the air for an instant. Ay'ral opened her eyes to watch those fists come down again, stopped by what seemed to be a type of lightning shield around his fists. She felt a small smile begin to form across her soft red lips. Khem Val was still in there somewhere, preventing Zash from harming his Master. Zash became furious with this additional turn of events._

_"What..? What is this! Why can't I hurt you?" She cried out, trying again and again to drive Khem's fists through her apprentice's head. Each time she was met with resistance. Ay'ral watched, a sense of pride and relief flowing through her. Every time those fists stopped mid-air, it made Ay'ral wonder just how much Khem had grown to respect her, or even like her. Was she proving herself in the eyes of the other? She had kept her promise in helping him find what had happened to his old Master, Tulak Hord. She could only think that her dedication to her promise is what made him gain more respect for her. _

_Zash was beginning to regret asking her apprentice to bring her Dashade with her. This was a mistake and a half. "_Your Dashade is fine-desirable even-given the sensitive nature of your bond to him..."_ Why...why did she have to tell her apprentice that? Why didn't she just tell her apprentice to come alone? Then nothing like this would have happened! _

_"That Bond! That damned Bond!" she yelled still trying to pummel Ay'ral with Khem's own large, clawed hands. Still, each time, she was stopped at the same point in mid-air. "How can your will be stronger than my own?_ I_ am the master, NOT YOU!" she screamed, throwing one last punch to the air, electricity snaking it's way up and down Khem's arms. _

_Ay'ral chuckled and crossed her arms, watching Zash have a mental breakdown in front of her._

_"And this is what we call a classic reversal of fortune..." The young sith said, a snide smile on her face. She was beginning to love the fact that Zash couldn't do a damn thing to her. That Khem was keeping her in check and refusing to let her hurt his Master. _

_Zash began to laugh when Khem's form stumbled back a step, his head shaking. One hand went up to his head, as if steadying himself from a horrifying feeling. He blinked, steadying himself and staring straight ahead...into the eyes of his small, female Master. After a second, he glanced around, realizing he was not where he was just a few moments ago._

_"What new kink has insinuated itself into the coils of my unfortunate existance...?" _

_Ay'ral's eyes brightened at the familiar voice of her Dashade. He continued to speak before Ay'ral could do anything. She let him speak for the moment._

_"First Tulak Hord abandons me to this meager creature...and now...it is if my body is no longer my own..." He growled out, staring at his slick black claws in confusion. He flexed his hands, as if making sure that he was himself again. Ay'ral smiled and took a step forward, watching her Dashade._

_"Is that you, my morose monster?" She asked gently, her voice filled with relief. Khem looked up at her inquisitively. She had never referred to him as 'her monster'. He tilted his head very slightly; he found himself amused with the name. He was a monster, he knew that, and was proud of the fact. But hers? The thought had an...interesting ring to it. He made a slight noise as he took a step towards Ay'ral, returning his thoughts to her question._

_"Last I remember, I was attacking the female Darth when I felt this force...like something trying to drive me from my body." He explained, his deep voice rolling in his native tongue again. Ay'ral found she had a soft spot lately for that voice. The more she found out about him, the more she realized they were more alike and more connected via their past than she originally thought when she first bested him in a battle. Each day she seemed to learn a bit more about him, and each day he learned more about her. _

_"It was not my Mistress Death," he continued, waving a hand around lightly. "but another. So I resisted the force's pull and then a darkness came over me. Tell me, master...what is going on?" He asked quietly, his confusion apparent. It wasn't often that the large warrior was caught off guard and left in this embarrassing state of confusion. Ay'ral sighed softly, watching him. She hated seeing him like this. It wasn't natural. _

_"It seems Zash went into your body, but you didn't leave." she explained, hating having to tell him. But how else would he know? Then again, the more information he knew, the better he would be able to resist her attempts to take control...complete control. Ay'ral watched as his small eyes widened with horror. He stepped back in disbelief._

_"What? No..NO!" He growled, clenching his fists. That damnable Darth! That's what she was going to do to his Master...what he refused to allow to happen to the female he'd swore to protect. His anger boiled inside, but the fact that he'd managed to protect Ay'ral also quelled his anger. At least with him, he was able to push her to the back of his mind and keep her under control. Still...having to deal and -share- his body with another...unnerved him greatly._

_"Protest all you like, Khem Val, servant of Tulak Hord, but your ancient master's artifacts have been used against you."_

_Ay'ral had been two seconds away from stepping towards her friend and protector when that familiar, haunting voice filtered through the air. She turned, watching a soft blue figure form in the air just behind her. Lord Kallig. Her ancestor. "And through some strange and miraculous trick, neither you nor Zash have full control." He said stepping forward to look at Khem, the servant of his old rival. He took close notice of Khem Val's strength, and how it had increased since they had first met when Ay'ral was tasked with attempting to pacify the spirit. Ay'ral watched him, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms._

_"That sounds pretty complicated...and unlikely..." she said, wondering how in the world that was possible. Wasn't it that only one spirit could inhabit one body? Either way, it had happened. In a way, she was grateful. She realized with a start that it was because of her that his will was stronger now. Everything they had fought, all the Force-users he had devoured, the strength he gained from them...because of that he was able to maintain his hold on his own body, and resist Zash's will to take over. She stared at Khem, not exactly sure what to be thinking...or feeling..._

A sharp knock to her door sent her mind spinning and tumbling back into reality. She found herself staring at the wall just above her still-clenched fist. She realized she hadn't moved her hand at all; her fist was still firmly planted against the wall. She pulled her hand back, wincing at the light stabs of pain that arced along the nerves in her hand and arm as half-dried blood peeled from the wall and her knuckles. She looked at the door then turned away from it.

"Enter."

The door pulled open, revealing a cautious Andronikos. He stuck his head in, then stepped in all the way when no lightsaber came flying at him. He closed the door behind him, keeping a safe distance away from the Sith.

"Hey...just wanted to check if you were okay. You seemed pretty upset when you came back." he said tentatively, hoping he wasn't overstepping his bounds. Ay'ral scoffed to herself. It was amusing. It wasn't long ago when she had gone to Khem Val to make sure HE was alright after killing the one he once called a friend. How the universe loved to play reverse-the-roles sometimes.

"You know how betrayal works, don't you, Andronikos?" Ay'ral asked, her voice thick with anger and contempt. Andronikos shifted uneasily. Pirate he may be and quick on his reflexes he may be, but tangle with a Sith was one thing he preferred not to do if he had the choice. Not that he was really -afraid- ...he held a certain respect for them. The kind of respect that was gleaned from watching too many others get caught in purple lightning or thrown out of windows by the Force. Okay so maybe it was a little tiny bit of fear. But he would never admit to that openly.

"I do...considering the situation you found me in on Tatooine, yes. Dare I ask...?" He said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. He figured he may as well ask since he came to see if she was alright in the first place. His eyes caught a glint on the wall, and he turned his gaze to it. Two thin lines of blood ran a few inches down the wall from just under shoulder-height. He raised an eyebrow and wondered what had happened. He glanced back at Ay'ral to see her turn around to face him.

"Let's just say...being betrayed by my own master is both the first and last thing that I expected." She said, her aura shimmering with the rage that she barely controlled. Andronikos nodded slowly.

"I see...she tried to kill you?" He asked, hoping simple conversation would calm his newest acquaintance. She began to pace back and forth, debating just how much to tell the lanky, dark-skinned pirate. She wasn't going to kill anyone on board...not yet. If she had a choice, Zash would be in a different body and be lying in a puddle of her own blood...or whoever's blood she inhabited.

"...You could say that." She said, pausing in her pacing as she noticed the blood on her wall. She raised her fist, seeing just how much damage to her hand she did, her blood dark against her already blood-red skin. It hadn't dawned on her that her skin was split to the bone on her middle knuckle and scraped badly on the first and third. She would attend to the injury later. For now, the pain she began to feel coursed through her, fueling her anger. Andronikos could see her knuckles, and realized what she did. His voice lowered softly.

"What happened?"

Her flaring gold eyes turned towards him, and for a split second he regretted asking the question. He silently sighed in relief when she turned away and paced more, her flowing black, grey and red robes shifting around her slowly. Her hood was back against her shoulders, revealing her pitch-black hair pulled up in a messy bun. The bone spurs running along her jawline were more noticeable without the hood. The tribal-ish scars across her left cheek were more pronounced without the shadow of the hood hiding them. Her bluish-purple eyeshadow accented her golden eyes. The sleek spurs that jutted out from above her eyes and straight out added a sense of danger to her, as well as a air of seductiveness if she ever chose to use that particular talent. The gold decorative implants that framed the bottom corners of her eyes and lined the sides of her forehead created an illusion of royalty or high stature; she had them implanted just months before her release from servitude, which earned her several beatings and forced to go without meals for several days. She fought back by working twice as hard, using her rudimentary knowledge of the Force to sustain herself and meditate at night when she was supposed to be sleeping. Her masters were angered by her seemingly ruthless and unbreakable spirit, and were eager to get rid of her when those who sought Force-sensitives came by to inspect for potentials.

She had suspected she could connect with and use the Force for a couple months before she decided on the implants. She had felt a strange connection with things around her for years, but never truly realized what that connection was. She grew up in slavery, and only heard about people being taken away occasionally. They were never seen again. So she grew to fear the men in black robes. But as time went on, she began to hear rumors of the Force and what it was, what it did and how to use it. She had no one to train her, so she began tapping slowly and carefully into the untamed energy around her that she had always felt. She found out quickly what she could do. On her time off, rare as it was, she would sneak away and practice moving small objects, focusing, pulling energy into herself and releasing it in a small wave of energy. She even managed to learn how to create quick bursts of lightning, blackening several boulders in her practice. She felt the power grow within her quickly. Without the trained supervision of the Jedi Council, her thoughts were already on power and using that power in any way possible to break free of this wretched place. She had already started down the dark path, and to her, there was no turning back. Thankfully, she didn't have to go about the hard way of killing every master and slave loyal to their masters to break out. Those who sought potentials came at just the right time.

She growled softly to herself and paused, turning and leaning against the metal-framed chair in front of her personal computer console. Her slender fingers clenched the back of her chair, her rich, red skin paling around her knuckles, more pain lancing through her with each clench. She made herself suffer through it.

"Zash didn't want you around to know of any of this. But right now, I could care less if that worm died a very slow and agonizing death on my lightsaber." She said, her voice dark. "Remember those relics of Tulak Hord I was collecting?" She asked, looking at the pirate. She paused as he nodded his head in acknowledgment, then continued. "Turns out they were all for a ritual to remove her spirit and bind it to my body, possibly either forcing my own spirit out or locking it down within my own mind while she did whatever the hell she wanted." She growled softly, her fingers releasing and clenching on the chair slowly. Her wounds began to bleed again, a two drops slipping from the injury and falling to the floor in two quiet _plat_s. Andronikos raised an eyebrow and studied her a moment. Would she really be THIS upset if that were all? If she had defeated Zash and the transfer hadn't happened, what else was bothering her?

"Something else happened, though." He said, stating his conclusion. Ay'ral glanced up at him. He swore he could see a look of pain in her normally shielded eyes, and not the kind of pain that was physical. But the moment he saw it, it was gone, replaced by that same seething anger.

"Khem...interrupted the ritual right before it would have ended...before she would have taken over me. In doing so..." Her voice trailed off, her fingers clenching the chair harder as she looked away from Andronikos for a moment. His eyes widened slightly as he realized what had happened before she finished her explanation. "In doing so, he redirected her concentration to him at the last second...and she forced her spirit into him instead of me."

Andronikos watched as she launched herself from the chair and back into pacing her room back and forth, like a cat searching for a way out of a cage. Inside, that's how she honestly felt. Trapped and unable to help Khem Val.

"That bitch has me in a bind, Andronikos. And she didn't fail to make that point blatantly clear to me. "Kill me, and you kill your precious Khem, too," she said to me. She said that while we were at the Fleet." She growled, keeping her eyes straight ahead of where she was walking, though her eyes were blind to anything but the mental images of Zash talking through Khem. The sight and sound unnerved her to no end. She paused finally and stared straight at her pirate friend.

"I would enjoy nothing more than to rip her out of Khem and give her a death more painful than she could ever imagine...and make it last as long as possible." She said, her voice dark with desires of revenge and bloodlust. "I would enjoy making her spirit writhe in pain for hours on end, slowly ripping every bit of essence from her until her very core burst in a final blast of pain before she disappeared for good..." she continued, her eyes seeming to flood over in dark energy and turn a reddish-purple. Andronikos stayed against his wall, not daring to move. He briefly wondered if her anger came from the betrayal of her master...or that she had taken over the Deshade. He watched as she paused and closed her eyes, willing her anger to subside slightly. If she let it consume her more, she would most likely go into a killing rage and kill everyone around her. Fortunately, the two others on board her ship were ones who had gotten on her good side. Zash was the exception, and she couldn't do a damn thing about it right now. The only thing she could do was begin the search to get rid of that witch from within her friend. Andronikos watched her a moment, sensing there was more to the whole story than she let on.

"You've gotten close to that monster, haven't you?" He asked, not realizing how much of a dangerous line he was walking on. That is, he didn't realize until he found himself under a burning gaze. His question had cut through the curtain of anger and sliced right through her soul. She didn't like what she saw. Angrily she turned away.

"When you fight next to someone as ruthless...or even more so than yourself, you tend to gain a certain level of respect for them. He is a friend, Andronikos. He's protected me through more than he had to, he could have killed me the moment he gained the strength to, but didn't. He could have left and broken his honor code, but he didn't. He could have left to find out what had happened to his old master, killing many in the process, but didn't. He protected me from Zash, and he could have just stood by and watched her do it, but he saved me from being possessed by Zash and is now dealing with her. I OWE him, Andronikos. I owe him my LIFE." She said, her voice slowly calming as she spoke. She stayed turned away; her anger and hurt over what Zash did was creating a physical effect on her that he didn't want the pirate to see. Her vision blurred lightly along the bottom of her eyesight and she felt the familiar tinge at the back of her throat. She clenched her hands tightly, her nails digging into her palms. Another few drops of blood decorated her floor. Andronikos knew the look from behind. He'd seen too many women facing away with fists clenched. That either meant they were severely pissed off, or hiding tears. And from the calm voice she was last speaking with, he'd garner the second option was the truth.

Ay'ral closed her eyes against the sting and focused. She channeled her emotions into the reservoir within her that supplied extra power when she needed it. She would NOT let this take over. She had to be focused enough to find a way to get Khem back to normal. She was so focused on her emotions that she didn't hear the one other person in the room walk up carefully and place a hand on her shoulder. Her reflex was to attack, but her intelligence took over to remind her it was only Andronikos. She glanced to the side, seeing his hand there. Half of her wanted to yell at him and demand he never touch her again. But deeper down she was grateful for the comforting touch. For this once, she stayed her tongue.

"We'll get him back to normal. I promise. Even if I have to search the galaxy for you for more artifacts to get that Sith out of him, we will get him back to his old self." the pirate said, his voice confident as always. Ay'ral chuckled briefly, shaking her head.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, pirate," she said, her voice just barely betraying the inner battle she fought with herself. In a swift motion, Andronikos was in front of her, both hands on either shoulder now. He leaned down to catch her gaze, to make her look at him.

"Look, Sith. If it makes you happy, you can strike me down if it turns out we can't get that Sith out of your friend and I would have broken my promise. But until then, I ain't gonna just back down and let you ride this wave solo. Everyone needs someone to turn to, even Sith. And don't argue with me." He said, making a stand against Ay'ral and her stubborn determination to do everything herself. The young Sith stared at the pirate for a moment, her eyes glinting in the dull lights of her room. She didn't like being challenged. But she knew he made sense and she was stuck with trigger-happy pirate. Still...

"Watch what you say, Andronikos. You know what I can do in a second if you cross me." She warned, still up to her stubborn attitude. Andronikos released her and stood straight again, sighing.

"Yeah, I know. But I figure if I'm gonna die, at least I got to tell a Sith to chill out." He replied, chuckling softly. Ay'ral stared at him blankly for a moment, then realized just how amusing his response was and a smile finally broke out on her face. She shook her head as she smiled and turned, taking a couple steps away. Andronikos grinned when he saw her smile. "AND I made one smile. Double points."

Ay'ral couldn't help but smile more, but she pointed a hand behind her towards the pirate in a gentle warning that really wasn't a warning at all at this point.

"Don't push your luck, Andronikos."

"Yes, ma'am." He jokingly replied, heading for the door. He paused at it and turned around, resting a hand on the handle. "Hey...before I go...do you need me to look at your hand?"

Ay'ral glanced down at her hand, which was still bleeding, but it had slowed as the blood had thickened a bit in a messy, globby scab. She sighed, then shook her head.

"No, but thanks. I am heading to the medbay here in a moment. I will take care of it." She said, her voice more calmed than when he had first come in. Mission successful. Andronikos nodded and opened the door.

"Alright. And if you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me." He added, slipping out the door to leave the female Sith to her own thoughts.

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><p>Ay'ral heard the door click shut behind him, finally allowing herself to sink to her knees, her arms encircling her sides. While their talk had cooled some of the anger she felt, some of it still rolled within her. Her mind was still exhausted from the ordeal earlier, parts of her still feeling raw from the attempted forced entry of her body by another's spirit. She realized how akin that was to a physical violation and growled, her hands tightening into her robes. She refused to let Zash get away with this. She absolutely refused. After a moment of allowing her anger to smolder, she stood, breathing slowly before moving to head out of her room to the medbay. Her hand needed to be looked at before it got infected. Her hand first, and then to figure out how to get Zash out of her closest friend. She swore to herself she would do whatever it took to get that scheming Darth out of him...without harming him in the process, if possible.<p>

But even with as much power as she had, and with as much control of the force as she had, she still had much to learn. Things did not always go as she desired. She could only hope they would.

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><p>AN - Don't burn me alive! XD I have no idea if I got Andronikos' attitude and personalty right...I actually rarely have him out on my Sorc. Khem is always my tanky while I do damage. I tried to get it as close to right as possible, judging from the cut scenes so far. Other than that, this is my take on the Legacy questline for the SI. I hope you all liked it! I think I know what the next bit is going to be, but I am not spoiling it for anyone. ^_~<p> 


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